Timid to the Point of Awkward
by shadowsnowleopard
Summary: Timid Nico interacts with always cheery Will, that is, with a little advice from resident love expert Piper. One-shot. NicoxWill. Solangelo.


**This is another random Solangelo one-shot, so enjoy!**

 **READ THIS: In order to celebrate my one year anniversary since posting my first chapter to FanFiction, I have something called the The Week Postings. This is day three. For all of this week I will be posting something everyday, whether it's a chapter to a story that is already started or a one-shot. On the final day, the one year anniversary, I will be posting a few thousand word one-shot, so stay tuned and check out the other things I will be posting. Suggestions for the daily postings are welcome!**

 **Previous Postings:**

 **Opposites Attract- Chapter 2**

 **Will Solace is Handsome as Hell- Chapter 3**

Nico had always tried to see the worst in people. To protect himself when that side came out, he claimed. With Will though, he had trouble with this. He couldn't see the worst side of Will. Maybe Will cared to much? Was too over protective? Maybe Nico just didn't want to see Will's bad side.

They were barely together at the time. A glance here and a smile there. Not even at the hand holding stage. They would just awkwardly bump shoulders. **(A/N this happens with flirting)**

Nico had been having a particularly wonderful day. He and Will had hugged that morning for no reason at all. As he watched Will practice archery from a distance though, a storm cloud began to build in his mind.

Will was teaching an archery class and helping a girl from the Iris cabin with her form. He had her in his arms. Nico's vision blurred in anger. Will hadn't really shared yet on whether he was gay or bi, and now Nico was paying the price.

Nico tried to control his anger, but the grass around him was quickly dying. Will had moved on to another student, this time a boy, but at least he refrained from touching him much. Will glanced over at Nico with a warm smile that Nico had a hard time returning.

Maybe he couldn't do this. Maybe he couldn't handle a relationship yet. Desperate for some advice he pushed up from the ground and ran off in the direction of of the Aphrodite cabin. Why, you ask? Well, to get help from his _dear_ friend Piper.

As Nico stepped through the doorway and into the threshold of the love goddess he was overwhelmed by the smell of perfume. After trying to keep from gagging, Nico glanced around the cabin, searching for Piper.

He found her on a bed in the far corner hugging a lavender plant.

"Um…" Nico said, unaware of how to start such a conversation.

Instead he mutely pointed to the plant.

"It helps with the smell," she said, her face buried in the plant.

Nico noticed two or three other plants scattered around the room, all of them near the beds of people who didn't take on the fashion traits of Aphrodite. There was another lavender plant, an orange tree, and a mint plant. There was also about fourteen cans of Febreeze on one bed.

"So," Piper said, her face still buried in the plant, "what brings you by Nico?"

"First- do you mind, umm…" he pointed to the plant.

"Oh. Yeah," Piper said quickly, removing the plant from face. Or was it removing her face from the plant?

Either way, Nico could now have a serious discussing with Piper. Not a shrub. If he wanted that he would've gone to the Demeter cabin. Nico took a deep breath, hoping it would calm himself, but the worry dug deep into his mind so as he pushed the air back out it was jagged.

"I just- I don't- I saw-," Nico stuttered.

For a guy who didn't cry he seemed awfully close to tears. He eyes had begun to well up and he started sniffling.

"Sit," Piper said softly, patting the bed beside her and holding out one of the many boxes of kleenexes just laying around the room. It was like they wanted people to cry around here.

Nico took one, but there were no tears to wipe away. He stumbled through an explanation of what he saw and all of his fears, well the ones involving Will. To go through all of them would require a lot more time.

Still though, he flinched away at Piper's touch. The stiffness began to slowly come back to Nico di Angelo. He dried his eyes and blew his nose, hiccuping a few times in between.

"I don't even know what I'm doing here," Nico said. "I'm going before a make an even bigger fool of myself. It's not like you can even help me."

Nico stood up heading towards the door and pulling his aviator jacket tight around him.

"Well maybe I can," Piper tried to reason. "If you would just-"

"No," Nico said in a steely voice, still intent on leaving.

"Sit. Down," Piper said in a stern voice and pointing at the bed beside her.

Nico didn't have much choice. It wasn't like he could leave even if he wanted to, or sit by choice for that matter because Piper looked pretty terrifying right now. She had a scowl on her face and the lighting created shadows that even Nico was afraid of. Piper's charmspeak was just too convincing.

Nico sat back down next to Piper, his moves quite rigid.

"Listen to me," Piper said, her voice softening slightly, "Will is _not_ cheating on you, and he's _not_ bi. Believe me."

"How can you be so sure?" Nico asked. "You didn't see him today."

"Not _today_ , but I did see him yesterday," Piper said.

The hope had started to rekindle in Nico's heart.

"What did he say?" Nico asked tentatively.

"He wanted the opinion of someone close to Nico. He wanted to know if it was to soon to hug you," Piper said softly.

Nico blushed. Never before had someone cared for him so much, besides Bianca of course. Maybe. Just maybe. He was wrong about Will. Or maybe Will was just blindsiding everyone. It was hard for Nico to believe this though, because there couldn't be some ulterior motive behind the kind doctor that was loved by everyone.

"I… um…" Nico stuttered.

"Go to him. Go to your knight in shining armor. Or shining knight in armor I guess since he's a son of Apollo," Piper said.

Nico gave her a timid wave good-bye before running off to find Will. It would be called the luck of the draw that he found Will in the first place he looked except that the blond teen spent more time in the infirmary than anywhere else. Nico stepped quietly through the infirmary's door, startling Will who was alone in the sterile environment.

"Nico," Will said, looking stunned as he brought a box of bandages out of the storage closet, "Are you okay? It's just, you ran off earlier and your eyes are red for some reason. Look- I'm sorry I hugged you this morning. I just thought it was time, but apparently you weren't ready, so I'm sorry."

Will put the bandages down on a bed and Nico looked at him blankly for a moment before crossing the room in a few strides. He stood mere inches from the son of Apollo. They both held their breath, looking into each other's eyes before Nico made a split second decision. He tightly wrapped his arms Will's waist and pulled their two bodies together into a hug. Will melted in his arms and reciprocated the action, causing Nico to rest his head on Will's chest.

"I really like you," Nico mumbled into Will's shirt.

"I really like you too," Will responded with a smile.

 **Aww- budding romance. So cute. And I love timid Nico. He's like a little ball of fluff I just wanna hug to death. Hehe. Get it- death. As in the Underworld. Which Nico's father rules. I love puns. Plz give suggestions- or puns. Either is welcome.**


End file.
